Kuzma: Cloutier's the new Canucks goalie coach, but Melanson's just a phone call away

Dan Cloutier.

Photograph by: Jason Payne
, PNG

In snooker, it’s not what you make, it’s what you leave. You can execute a good pool shot but also leave your opponent a better one.

The Vancouver Canucks have gone one better. They've run the table.

It’s no surprise that Dan Cloutier has supplanted the departed Rollie Melanson as goalie coach for the National Hockey League club. What is pleasantly surprising is that Melanson — who left the Canucks to spend more time with his elderly mother in New Brunswick — will continue to work in player development at the AHL, college and junior levels and be based in Eastern Canada.

In his six seasons in Vancouver as a full-time mentor, Melanson had instant impact.

Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider combined to win the Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed in the 2010-11 season with just 185. And Melanson’s structure to push for deeper positional play and also replicate game conditions in tough practices, allowed raw and established stoppers to either develop quickly or hone their craft.

In Ryan Miller, Jacob Markstrom and the traded Eddie Lack — plus the potential of Thatcher Demko — there’s ample proof that the “goalie graveyard” moniker is no longer applicable.

If anything, it’s a tough act for Cloutier to follow. However, he has the experience of playing the position in a feisty and effective manner and understanding the demands of a hockey-mad city. His teaching and communication skills as a four-year consultant have been widely applauded and he has worked with Markstrom, Lack and Demko and Melanson.

Rollie Melanson had success tweaking Roberto Luongo's game and he teamed with Cory Schneider to win the Jennings Trophy.

“Rollie did a great job in Vancouver and I don’t look at it as a tough role because I’m passionate, I work hard and I’m driven and competitive,” the 40-year-old Cloutier said Tuesday.

“We’re all on the same page and Rollie is just a phone call away. It’s just going to be a different voice and probably a lot of the same messages.

“I’m a little bit different than I was as a player. I’m pretty calm and understanding. I’ve been there. I’ve played in that market and I’ve done all the travelling. I know exactly how guys feels and how to adapt to different situations.

"We obviously have different plans and different views for the goalies. I like to work more with their strengths, and I won’t change the way I coach. But in saying that, I’m pretty open. I like to talk about things and make sure people understand what my plan is and what direction I want to go. And I want my goalies to feel comfortable about opening up.”

Miller was at his best last season when rested. A heavy workload caught up to him and it allowed Markstrom to establish himself as a capable starter.

The challenge of getting the meticulously prepared Miller to adjust to technique tweaks and adhere to mandated smaller equipment will be a focus. Cloutier knows Markstrom. He has to get to know Miller.

“Once you get to the AHL level or the NHL, you’re obviously doing something right,” said Cloutier. “You don’t get there by fluke. But every goalie is different. Some need more structure and some need to think out of the box. They all have their own recipe and I want to work with what got them here — just tweak to make them more refined whether it be rebounds or tracking shots.

"The new equipment will be an adjustment, but everybody is starting with the same stuff. We just want to get it in our hands as soon as possible in the summer to practise with it.”

Cloutier was a first-round 1994 pick of the New York Rangers and had three-consecutive 30-win seasons in Vancouver. In 10 NHL seasons with the Rangers, Lightning, Canucks and Kings, he had a career 2.77 goals-against average and .899 saves percentage. In five seasons with the Canucks, he went 109-68-23 with 14 shutouts and a 2.42 GAA and .906 saves percentage. He also had playoff disappointments in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

TRICKLE-DOWN COACHING EFFECT

With Canucks assistant coach Glen Gulutzan the front-runner in Calgary as the successor to fired head coach Bob Hartley — and Utica Comets coach Travis Green interviewed twice in Anaheim but losing that bench-boss bid to Randy Carlyle — the Canucks may have a conundrum on their hands and a vacancy on their NHL bench.

Green has a year remaining on his contract and has shown loyalty to the organization. He turned down an assistant position to Mike Johnston in Pittsburgh in 2014 and believes he’s ready to be an NHL head coach. But openings have dried up, and what if the Canucks come calling? There are some optics.

With all the heat on Willie Desjardins to have more success with a healthier, younger, faster and deeper roster, a slow start could make that scenario uncomfortable with Green on the bench.

Obviously, the organization has to decide whether it’s more prudent to have Green developing players in Utica or have him in Vancouver. He has not only coached current Canuck players in the minors, he can work with them at the NHL level and also get to know the veteran core. If not, the Canucks will have to hire an assistant.

OF NOTE: In their partial 2016-17 preseason schedule, the Canucks will host Edmonton (Sept. 28) and Calgary (Oct. 6) and play in Calgary (Sept. 30) and Edmonton (Oct. 8).

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.